The Design Block

If you're looking for the latest in advertising and marketing, design related technology and lifestyle tips, and art or design highlights then you're in the right place. Find all this and more with the Design Block blog.

When we think of treehouses, we instantly think of plain-planked interiors propped in trees. Plenty of kids have spent their youth climbing trees and building their secret hideaways in the tree branches. However, this modern concept by Milan-based Peter Pichler Architecture envisions treehouses for adults that…

If you visit the website of fashion retailer Anthropologie, you’ll see a product called Birch Branch Bundle. Exactly what the name implies, this bundle of decorative twigs is not much different from what you’d find in your own yard.

Showing that eco-friendly building concepts are applicable to even our canine friends, California-based architecture and interior design firm Studio Schicketanz has designed a dog house unlike any other.

Playing with Lego just got better for the environment. After announcing its eco-friendly plant-shaped bricks made of sugarcane, LEGO has teamed up with Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas to create a wind turbine model made from sustainable bricks.

Every year the team at the Pantone Color Institute comes out with its fashion trend report; an overview of the top colours showcased by fashion designers at New York Fashion Week that’ll be featuring in their collections for the upcoming season.

A rainbow is a beautiful, natural phenomenon which continues to inspire people in many ways. It has also inspired scientists and artists alike to further explore the nature of colour and light and how they are connected.

The art of chainsaw sculpting is astonishing to think of when creating with using such an indelicate tool. Both elaborate and exhilarating, it’s also a lengthy process that takes time to perfect. However, if you give Jürgen Lingl-Rebetez a block of wood and a chainsaw, all you have…

One of the most fascinating and largely unexplored places in the world also happens to be a place difficult for most people to visit—the depths of the ocean. But, for seasoned scuba divers, this contest is a chance to capture underwater wonders most will never…

After receiving 4,400 submissions from over 101 countries, the inaugural Drone Awards have announced the winners of their competition. The awards, which celebrates the art of drone photography, has allowed photographers to explore new perspectives and communicate an appreciation of our planet.

McDonald’s & KFC are the latest restaurant chains to join the war against plastic and phase out plastic straws across several of their outlets. However, this will most likely only be in their in overseas markets. This follows earlier news from McDonald’s claiming they’re “really close” to the point where…

Have you ever felt peace while walking along the ocean, or maybe more energetic and an improved mood? The fact is that most people experience a feeling of calm, relaxation and well-being, when near the swirling motion of water.

Each spring, people visit Japan to see the cherry blossom trees in full bloom. And while they unfortunately only bloom for a short period, there’s one place where you can see a cherry blossom in constant bloom: LEGOLAND® Japan.

Later this year, LEGO will be launching new botanical elements such as leaves, bushes and trees made from a plant-based plastic. In the company’s bid to reduce their plastic waste, the new pieces will be made with a plant-based material sourced from sugarcane.

If you’ve ever gone hiking and come across plants and animals you were unfamiliar with, and wanted to know more, there’s now an app for that. You could try to describe what you see and type it into Google. But you might not get the…

Fashion brand Lacoste has replaced it’s iconic crocodile logo to help save 10 endangered species in a new limited edition collection of polo shirts. In partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Lacoste will release 10 different polo shirts embroidered with animals who…

With energy rates going nowhere but up, maybe you’re looking to live off-the-grid; or you’re someone who dreams of traveling with a self-sustaining mobile home. If size doesn’t matter, then the Ecocapsule might be your perfect earth-friendly dwelling.

Embroidery is delicate work. But when you’re skillfully hand-stitching, it’s taken to the next level. And that’s especially true when working on net-like tulle fabric. It’s more delicate than your traditional cotton—making it less forgiving than other fabrics. However, when done well, the effect is mesmerizing.

In woodlands and jungles, along coastlines, and on mountaintops, sculpture has long been integrated into the world around us. However, we often think of sculptural viewing as an indoor experience, placed throughout museums and galleries. But in recent decades the concept of sculpture parks have taken off.

Polluted air has grown 8% globally in the past five years. Now, billions of people around the world are now exposed to dangerous air; this according to data from over 3,000 cities compiled by the World Health Organization.

Sculptors have a way of taking their medium and transforming it into incredible shapes and designs. And the creations from this talented Romanian artist is no exception; the only difference is his tool: a chainsaw.

Australian burger chain Huxtaburger will be offering a distinctly creepy burger on Halloween. And just so you know, the extra crunch in this burger isn’t from the crispy lettuce. Rather, it’s the healthy serving of mealworms.

Fall is here, which means that it’s time for the harvest and the annual fairs that celebrate it. In Japanese culture waste is often minimized, especially in food. Sometimes, during the annual rice harvest, the leftover rice straw is transformed into straw animals.

On Monday, August 21, 2017, millions of people across the northern hemisphere tried to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse. In fact, according to Netflix, they lost 10 percent of their usual viewership during the solar eclipse.

Japanese artist Nobuhiro Nakanishi doesn’t believe that time can be physically grasped. However, with his latest exhibition, he shows us what it might look like if we could. Nobuhiro’s Layer Drawings series explores time, space, and memory by photographing landscapes over time.

It’s true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And for this self-taught artist based in Gloucestershire, UK, scrap metal is his canvas. Dan Rawlings works with recycled tools, old vehicles, and anything else he finds; turning this scrap metal into beautiful tree and plant…

Spring is beautiful, but it’s also a key time of year for seasonal allergies. As plants release pollen, millions of people with hay fever start to sniffle and sneeze. However, Swiss art director Regine Cavicchioli, Roman Jurt and Michael Kennedy from the Zurich University of the…

The snow and slush of early spring are gone, but things are still a bit dirty. And chances are that your car could use a good wash to get off the dirt and grime its accumulated over the past season. Those who should, but don’t…

Few things embody the magic of Disney films quite like the enchanted rose from Beauty and the Beast. With the live-action release of this classic tale opening today, what better way to gift fans than with a magical rose in a glass dome?

“Destroying Nature is Destroying Life”. This is the slogan of a beautiful and powerful new awareness campaign against the destruction caused by uncontrolled industrialization. Using double exposure ads, the campaign reminds us that the destruction of nature inevitably leads to the destruction of wildlife.

Airbnb and PANTONE have joined up to create a one-of-a-kind nature-filled space that brings the outdoors, inside. Inspired by the Pantone’s 2017 Colour of the Year, Greenery, the Outside In house in the heart of London, is designed to encourage visitors to embrace 2017 with fresh optimism.

The movement of the water and the sound of waves has always had a calming effect on people. That’s why American artist Phillip K. Smith decided to create a project where the ocean waves are reflected, instead of being “swallowed” by their force.

Climate change is already having a significant impact on global ecosystems and communities. Rising average temperatures don’t simply mean warmer winters. Some regions are already experiencing more extreme heat, cold, flooding and drought. To help raise awareness, Leo Burnett Philippines has come up with a collection of print…

Daniel Swanick has been working as both a freelance and in-house Art Director / Senior Graphic Designer in the Greater Toronto Area for over ten years. He looks at every project from both a creative and strategic point-of-view to deliver engaging, conceptually driven ideas.